Why did The Roman empire split into Eastern and Western Empires?
The western Empire spoke Latin and was Roman Catholic. The eastern Empire spoke Greek and worshipped under the Eastern Orthodox branch of the Christian church. Over time, the east thrived, while the west declined. In fact, after the western part of the Roman Empire fell, the eastern half continued to exist as the Byzantine Empire for hundreds of years. Therefore, the "fall of Rome" really refers only to the fall of the western half of the Empire.Other fundamental problems contributed to the fall. In the economically ailing west, a decrease in agricultural production led to higher food prices. The western half of the empire had a large trade deficit with the eastern half. The west purchased luxury goods from the east but had nothing to offer in exchange. To make up for the lack of money, the government began producing more coins with less silver content. This led to inflation. Finally, piracy and attacks from Germanic tribes disrupted the flow of trade, especially in the west.There were political and military difficulties, as well. It didn't help matters that political amateurs were in control of Rome in the years leading up to its fall. Army generals dominated the emperorship, and corruption was rampant. Over time, the military was transformed into a mercenary army with no real loyalty to Rome. As money grew tight, the government hired the cheaper and less reliable Germanic soldiers to fight in Roman armies. By the end, these armies were defending Rome against their fellow Germanic tribesmen. Under these circumstances, the sack of Rome came as no surprise.Goth RockersWave after wave of Germanic barbarian tribes swept through the Roman Empire. Groups such as the Visigoths, Vandals, Angles, Saxons, Franks, Ostrogoths, and Lombards took turns ravaging the Empire, eventually carving out areas in which to settle down. The Angles and Saxons populated the British Isles, and the Franks ended up in France.In 476 C.E. Romulus, the last of the Roman emperors in the west, was overthrown by the Germanic leader Odoacer, who became the first Barbarian to rule in Rome. The order that the Roman Empire had brought to western Europe for 1000 years was no more.
Why was the technology of Native American societies so far beyond the European societies?
And don't say there was less warfare in the Americas to drive technology. There was plenty. I am taking an anthropology class on Mesoamerica and I took one last semester on the eastern seaboard of what is now the USA. There is lots of warfare. It just isn't organized. It is as if the Native American societies had similar technology as Classical Greece, but why have they not advanced more like with the European societies? Do you think maybe it could be related to entheogenic traditions which fostered a strong relationship to the earth and made them not feel a need to innovate? I am very curious. This question is not meant to be offensive either, all aggressive answers will be reported.
What are the craziest/weirdest things you've seen in a Civilization game?
Civ IV:The Barbarian State has conquered Persepolis!!!2 turns later:The Barbarian State has conquered Parsagadae!3 turns later:The Barbarian State has conquered Susa!The Persian Civilization has been destroyed!I mean, it was pretty early in the game (Earth 18 Civs), but still... An entire civilization wiped out by Barbarians?! And not even Raging Barbarians!Turn 5:The American civilization has been destroyed!What?! Turn 5 in Earth 18 Civs and a nation is already off the map? Worldbuilder shows that they were conquered by, apparently, Barbarian warriors. Raging Barbarians, so, yes, somewhat understandable, but Turn 5?! The Aztecs must have been delighted.The empty Europe phenomenon... No European countries left in Europe (Earth 18 Civs map, my personal favorite) at all, except for England and Russia. What happened? Turns out the Egyptions and the Arabs killed Greece, Russia killed Germany, England conquered France and Spain, and Rome fell into the hands of... China?!China-less Earth... Apparently China was eliminated and divided up between the Mongols, the Japanese, and the Indians. Usually on that map (you can try it yourself) China becomes a major Eastern power, but not this time. Oh, and the Mongols and the Japanese were good friends fighting together against the Indians, which is historically incorrect.Civ V:The Greek Civilization has lost its Capital! The leader with the most capitals is now Budapest.Seriously?! The Greek lost their capital to a city-state?! Yes, they were getting hurt by Siam and Venice, but that no one would have expected.In the World Congress, the Chinese vote 3 votes yes and 2 votes no to the exact same decision! How is that even possible!?(This might not be so weird, but I find it funny.)Shaka denounces me... when I'm his only neighbor on the same continent and I have some 25 units lined up along the border... versus his 5 (yeah, we already warred previously, although he was the one who declared war). Really, civs shouldn't denounce when they don't have the power to back up their threats.